A Must-Read for Sexually Active People: What Is HPV?

Story at-a-glance -

Not to be confused with herpes and HIV, the human papillomavirus refers to a group of viruses that affects not just your skin, but also the moist membranes that line your body

Warts are the primary symptom of HPV, and they can manifest in different areas of your body

If not given proper medical attention, HPV genital warts can cause complications such as abnormal urine flow (in men) and vaginal or urethral bleeding or discharge

Anyone who is sexually active has probably heard about HPV, and this should come as no surprise, as it is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) that affects people today.1 Not to be confused with herpes and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the human papillomavirus refers to a group of viruses that affects not just your skin, but also the moist membranes that line your body. This can include your mouth and throat, cervix and anus.2

There are more than 200 known HPV genotypes,3 and about 40 of them affect the genitals4 However, the majority of these strains are not harmful, and 70 percent will clear the body on their own in less than year — most within six months — usually without you ever knowing you were infected.5

Most sexually active women and men become exposed to HPV at some point during their lifetime, and 91 percent of men and 85 percent of women will contract this infection.6 In the United States, at least 14 million new cases are diagnosed every year.7

As mentioned, generally, HPV goes away on its own, as your immune system is able to subdue the infection before it can wreak havoc on your body. In fact, 90 percent of the time, healthy, sexually active women and men resolve the infection within two years, usually with no symptoms. Generally, after one HPV type has cleared from your body you will produce sufficient antibodies to that particular HPV type to leave you partly or fully immune to that type.8

However, there are instances when the virus persists and can cause unpleasant and uncomfortable symptoms, such as cervical or vaginal lesions or genital warts. Additionally, if you are a woman infected with the high-risk HPVs 16 or 18, research shows that only about 50 percent will form antibodies to those two HPVs.9,10,11

How Does HPV Spread?

Certain risk factors can make you susceptible to the infection, mainly the state of your immune system, having multiple sexual partners, oral contraceptive use,12 and chronic alcohol intake and tobacco use.13,14 However, to be able to pass from one person to another, the human papillomavirus needs intimate skin-to-skin contact.

Take note that HPV lives in (and infects) the top layer of your skin — it does not go into your bloodstream, does not reach the spinal cord and it certainly does not affect your internal organs.15 The virus can also enter your skin through a wound, cut, abrasion or any small tear.16 Although in rare instances it can be passed vertically from mother to baby at birth,17 mucosal HPV is usually transmitted through anal, vaginal or oral sex with an infected person.

What makes HPV hard to pinpoint is that the virus can be passed on even if the infected person has no apparent symptoms. In addition, the visible indicators of a persistent infection sometimes do not manifest immediately — they can develop years after you have had sex with the infected individual. This is why it can be hard to pinpoint exactly when you first became infected.18

How Do You Know if You Have HPV?

Normally, you don't. Women can ask for an HPV DNA test, which consists of a swab of their vagina and cervix, to determine if they are currently infected with genital HPV.19Warts are the primary physical symptom of being infected with certain types of HPV, and they can manifest in different areas of your body. The warts also manifest in their own different types, mainly:20

• Common warts — Painful and prone to injury or bleeding, these can be seen on the hands, elbows or fingers.

• Plantar warts — Hard, grainy and usually uncomfortable, these marks are usually found on the balls of your feet or on your heels.

• Flat warts — These are flat-topped, slightly raised dark lesions that can appear almost anywhere in your body.

• Genital warts — Infected women will develop these warts on their vulva, on the cervix, in the vagina or near the anus, while in men, they appear on the scrotum, penis or around the anus.

A woman may also learn she is infected with HPV when she has a Pap smear, which tests for abnormal cells on the cervix.21

HPV May Lead to Certain Health Complications

If not given proper medical attention, HPV genital warts can cause complications such as abnormal urine flow (in men) and vaginal or urethral bleeding or discharge.22 Some infections may also cause lesions in your respiratory tract, affecting your tonsils, tongue, larynx, soft palate and nose.23 In some cases, HPV may lead to cancer, for example, when abnormal cells on the cervix persist beyond two years, and worsen.24

30 Tips in 30 Days! Start the Year Right With These Timeless Health TipsCan you improve your health in 30 days? You bet! Check out Dr. Mercola’s
All-Time Top 30 Health Tips Subscribe now to my FREE newsletter and get
access to these top 30 tips!

You will also get free access to more than 100,000 Mercola.com health articles and
a totally FREE subscription to my Natural Health newsletter. You can unsubscribe
at any time and I guarantee the privacy of your email.

Disclaimer: The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of Dr. Mercola, unless otherwise noted. Individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective author, who retains copyright as marked. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Mercola and his community. Dr. Mercola encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your health care professional before using products based on this content.

If you want to use an article on your site please click here. This content may be copied in full, with copyright, contact, creation and information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not-for-profit format. If any other use is desired, permission in writing from Dr. Mercola is required.

Disclaimer: The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of Dr. Mercola, unless otherwise noted. Individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective author, who retains copyright as marked. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Mercola and his community. Dr. Mercola encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your health care professional before using products based on this content.

If you want to use an article on your site please click here. This content may be copied in full, with copyright, contact, creation and information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not-for-profit format. If any other use is desired, permission in writing from Dr. Mercola is required.